This invention relates to exercise equipment for improving muscular coordination, and particularly for improving performance in sports.
All sports activities require the utilization of various muscles in the body. Different types of actions require the activation of different sets of muscles. In addition, different types of movement require different types of muscular activity. As is well known, muscles alternate between contracted and relaxed states. Certain actions may simultaneously require contraction of some muscles and relaxation of others. For example, in the sport of basketball, inserting the ball into the basket may include a powerful vaulting movement of the legs, which involves muscle contraction, and a precise placing movement with the hands, which involves muscle relaxation. In another example, one hand may dribble the ball, which requires dexterity (muscle relaxation), while the other may push away a competing player, which requires power (muscle contraction).
The simultaneous combination of contraction and relaxation of different muscles is a complex operation which requires extended training in order to perfect. Both the brain and the nervous system must be trained to perform optimally in a dual fashion.
The use of training aids in sports is well known. Examples of such aids include: (1) tying a parachute to a running person in order to improve running skills; (2) attaching two people together by a detachable connector to improve agility and response time; and (3) dribbling a non-uniformly shaped ball to improve response ability. However, training aids for developing differentiation as described above are currently unavailable.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for training a person to perform different types of muscular operations simultaneously and in a coordinated fashion.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an exercise system in which the method of the invention may be carried out.
In one aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for strengthening coordination between a person""s hand muscles and muscles of the lower part of a person""s body comprising:
(1) the person jumping into the air while holding a hanging article; and
(2) the person placing, while in the air, the hanging article on an elevated, substantially horizontal flexible support, so that the hanging article is retained on the support after the person releases the article from his hold,
wherein the support is positioned above the extended height of the person.
In a second aspect of the invention, there is provided an exercise system for strengthening coordination between a person""s hand muscles and muscles of the lower part of a person""s body comprising:
(1) an elevated substantially horizontal flexible support; and
(2) a hanging article;
wherein the support is positioned above the extended height of the person.
In the present specification, the term xe2x80x9chand musclesxe2x80x9d includes all muscles controlling hand and finger movement and tension, including those of the arm and shoulder, and the term xe2x80x9cmuscles of the lower part of a person""s bodyxe2x80x9d includes all muscles controlling running, pivoting and jumping movements.
The method of the invention combines two different types of actions employing two different muscular activities. The jumping action involves muscular contraction while the placing action involves muscular relaxation. In this respect, the method resembles the actions required in the game of basketball. However, the method differs from basketball in the use of a support which is flexible. The flexibility of the support enables the trainer to ascertain whether the trainee placed the hanging article on the support in a relaxed manner.
If the muscles involved in the placing action are relaxed, the trainee will immediately release the hanging article from his hold after placing it on the support. Thus, the article will be retained on the support. On the other hand, if the relevant muscles are contracted, the trainee will not promptly release the article, and the downward movement of the trainee together with the flexibility of the support will cause the article to slide off the support.
In the present specification, the term xe2x80x9cextended heightxe2x80x9d when used with respect to a person standing on a level surface with his hand extended vertically above his head, refers to the distance from the level surface to the tip of the extended hand. The term xe2x80x9cjump heightxe2x80x9d is defined as the height which a person can jump above a level surface (i.e. the distance between the level surface and the sole of the person""s shoe).
A hanging article is any article which may be placed on the support without falling off, and includes articles which rest on the support rather than hang from it.